Apparatus for applying paste to wallpaper



NOV. 1953 o. BLEDSOE APPARATUS FOR APPLYING PASTE TO WALLPAPER Filed April 7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR. OPHARD BLEDSOE a/JL @Mwx ATTORNEY NOV. 10, 1953 BLEDSOE APPARATUS FOR APPLYING PASTE TO WALLPAPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April '7 1950 FIG.5

FIG. 4

INVENTOR. OPHARD auzosos LZ/JZLM WW! ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 10,1953

UNITED APPARATUS FOR APPLYING PASTE TO WALLPAPER Ophard Bledsoe, Akron, Ohio Application April '7, 1950, Serial No. 154,665

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to paste dispensing apparatus, and in particular relates to apparatus for applying paste to one side of a strip of wallpaper drawn from a roll thereof.

In the past, paste dispensing devices of this type have been found disadvantageous for example, in that the same could not be depended upon for uniform distribution of adhesive paste over the entire surface of the wallpaper. No satisfactory means has heretofore been provided for supplying paste to the usual paste dispensing trough of such devices and frequently the trough overflowed while being filled, due to an inherent tendency of the paste to pile up at the point where it is poured into the trough. This difficulty is aggravated by the fact that the wallpaper paste tends to thicken up ageing.

It is an object of this invention to provide a paste dispensing device of the character described, including improved means for applying a uniform coating of the paste over the surface of paper drawn through the device.

It is a further object of this invention to provide improved means for maintaining paste at a predetermined level in association with a paste applying roll in a dispensing trough, replenishment of the paste supply being accomplished without spilling and without getting paste on the wrong side of the paper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paste applying device of the character described having improved means by which the paste dispensing trough may be filled without necessarily removing the paper roll from the device.

These and other objects of the invention will be self-evident from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of one embodiment of the improved paste dispensing apparatus.

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-section, partly broken away, take-n substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-section, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and showing stop means on the pivoted paper tensioning bar.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section, taken on the line td. of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section taken substantially on the line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssection showing a modified form of pressure-applying means which may be used with the apparatus shown in Figures 1-5 inclusive.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing a modified form of valving means which may be used with the apparatus shown in Figures 1-5.

Referring particularly to Figures 15 of the drawings, there is shown a wallpaper paste dispensing machine It), embodying the features of the invention, wherein a hollow paste applying roller ii is rotatably mounted between opposite end walls [2 and I3, respectively, of an elongated rectangular trough M for containing a fluid Wallpaper paste at a level adapted to maintain the lower portion of the roller 8 l immersed therein. The roller ll may be covered around the outer periphery thereof, with a pile material M, such as carpeting, whereby the paste will be uniformly applied to a paper drawn over the roller with brush-like effect. Stems i5 and iii, provided on opposite ends of the hollow roller, are vertical- 1y shiftably received Within vertical slots ll and E8 in the end walls I2 and I3 respectively, open.- ing upwardly at the tops thereof, whereby the roller is free to float in the paste to requisite depth which will not oversupply the surface thereof with paste.

For holding or tensioning paper P firmly and uniformly around the upper portion of the roller H, as the paper is being drawn across the same, a tensioning rod 20, preferably of metal for desired weight, is mounted between upwardly arcuate arms 2| and 22 pivotally connected to spaced supporting uprights 23 and 24 on the trough, substantially as shown. As best shown in Figures 1, l and 5, the tensioning bar 20 is positioned closely adjacent the front side wall 25 of the trough M, at the upper edge 25a thereof so that the paper P will be maintained substantially taut over the same. To limit the downward movement of the tensioning bar 29 and prevent the same from being immersed in the paste in the trough, cut-out portions 21 and 28 on each end of the bar 20 are engageable against the tops of the end walls I2 and I3. For manually raising and lowering tensioning bar 20, as for adjusting the paper P in place, a handle 20a is provided on the upper central portion of the same, as shown in Figures 1 and 4.

On an inturned flange 30 at the upper edge of the rear side wall 29 may be an elongated wiper element 3!, formed of a length of carpet or similar pile material folded upon itself to present a narrow wiping edge 32. The wiper element preferably is removable and replaceable, and to that end. opposite edge portions of the folded carpet material are out-turned to be slidably received in opposite guide portions '33 and 34 of a chan- =3) nel strut secured to said flange 30 of the trough. In this connection the roller may be mounted so that the top portion thereof extends above the top of the trough, substantially in horizontal alignment with the top of said wiper element, so that when the paper is passed over the top surface of said roller, the wiper element 3| will remove excess paste from the underside of the paper, the excess being drained back into the trough in known manner.

The bottom of the trough I4 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced inlet openings 40, 4|, 42 and 43, leading into a conduit 45 integrally attached to the bottom 44 of the trough I4, and communicating with a paste supply reservoir 50 mounted at one end of said trough.

The reservoir 50, as shown, is arranged and adapted with respect to the trough to contain a substantial bod of liquid paste, the level of which is below the desired level of the paste in the trough l4, and plunger means is provided for forcing the paste from the reservoir along said conduit 45, into said trough through said inlet openings 40, 4|, 42 and 43. Said plunger means may comprise a block of rectangular crosssection, longitudinally reeiprocable in a casing or guideway 52 of corresponding cross-sectional shape mounted in the reservoir in a manner to be described, the block 5| having a handle 53 thereon received through a suitable packing gland 54 to extend freely outwardly of the reservoir 50.

The casing or guideway 52 may include an inverted channel-shaped part 55 removably secured to the bottom wall 56 of the reservoir 50 as by means of screws, received through lugs 51 outtumed from the bottom edges of the channel sides 58, 59, and threaded into said bottom wall. The guideway extends from the inner face of the outer wall 60 of the reservoir 50 to a vertical casing part 6| similarly removably secured to the inner side wall 62 of the reservoir, and which is adapted to be removed with the guideway 52 as a unit. The casing part 6| forms a chamber which communicates with an orifice 63 in the wall 65 of the part 6| on one end thereof, while the opposite end communicates with the conduit 45. Paste from the reservoir 50 is accordingly free to flow by gravity through an opening 66, in the top of the guideways thereof, and into the casing 52, whereby upon manual reciprocation of block 5| the paste will be forced through the orifice 63 into the chamber 6|, and thence along the conduit 45 and into the trough |4, through the inlet openings 40, 4|, 42 and 43 thereof.

Relatively heavy paste, upon entering the con" duit 45, has a tendency to flow through the nearest opening first and thereupon pile up around the same, with a resulting overflow of paste from the trough. To obviate this difficulty, relatively thin, flexible leaf spring check valves 10, TI, 12 and 13 are attached to the upper face of the bottom plate 44 of the trough, these springs being of decreasing resiliency toward the end of the trough remote from the reservoir. The arrangement is such that the pressurized paste will tend to flow the full length of the conduit 45, and to open all of the valves at the same time, or in other words to equalize the amount of flow through the inlet openings in a manner which will materially minimize the aforementioned tendency of paste to spill over the sides of the trough M.

A leaf spring check valve 15, similar in construction to the aforementioned check valves, is

iii

'4 mounted over the orifice 63, within the chamber 6|, for preventing the paste in the conduit 45 from being sucked back toward the reservoir 50 when the plunger block 5| is pulled back to the position shown in Figure 2.

Paste is maintained at a predetermined level in the trough M by means of cut-out portions 80, 80, provided in the common end wall l2 of the trough adjoining the reservoir, whereby overflow from the trough will empty into the reservoir 58, to be resupplied through the apparatus as described.

The apparatus described above may also be provided with suitable legs BI and 82 for supporting the same in desired horizontal position.

In use or operation of the improved dispensing apparatus for applying adhesive paste to wallpaper for example, an adequate supply of paste, in substantially liquid or flowable form is maintained in the reservoir 50, which automatically maintains the guideway channel 52 filled with paste received through opening 66 in the top of the channel. While paste, in freely flowable condition at first tends to seek its own level within the apparatus, thick paste under pressure applied by manually pumping or reciprocating the plunger or block 5|, tends to follow a line of least resistance and to go through the nearest inlet openings into the trough. As previously explained, however, pressurized liquid paste is forced in the direction of the arrows in Figure 2, from one end of the conduit 45 to the other and due to the variations in tension of the leaf spring valves 10 to '13, the same open in sequence to permit requisite amounts of paste to flow into the trough through the respective inlet openings 40, 4|, 42 and 43. Closing of the leaf spring valves to stop the flow of paste through the inlet openings in sequence is aided by the weight of the paste at the proper level in the trough applied directly over the respective valves. Thus, to maintain the level of the paste Within the trough 4, it is only necessary to reciprocate the plunger occasionally.

Wallpaper P from a roll thereof, may be fed under the floating tensioning bar 20 and over the fabric covered roller II and fabric covered wiping element 3|. In this condition, as the paper P is drawn through the machine, the roller will be rotated while partially immersed in the paste bath of the trough l4, and the paste picked up by the roller I will be transferred to the underside of the paper. Excess paste is removed from the paper, by sliding engagement thereof with the wiper element 3|, the excess paste subsequently flowing back into the trough upon removal from the paper. As the paste in the trough is gradually used up, the suppl thereof may be replenished as described without necessitating the removal of either the paste applying roller or the wallpaper being treated.

It will therefore be seen from the foregoing that an efiicient apparatus has been provided for uniformly and continuously distributing the paste over one side of wallpaper or other strip material, wherein the aforementioned problems of coagulation and replenishment of the paste supply have been obviated.

In Figure 6, there is shown a modified form of the invention, wherein the pumping means is replaced by an impeller screw 85, rotatably mounted in the paste reservoir 50a to be driven by a motor K, to maintain the paste supply in the trough |4a (not shown) at a constant level, thereby eliminating the necessity of manual operation of the pumping means.

The apparatus will otherwise operate substantially as set .forth above.

A further modification of the invention is shown in Figure '7, wherein the various leaf spring valves are replaced by tensionally adjustable rubher diaphra-gms 9G, :93 which are normally yieldingly urged to close inlet openings at, 4!, t2 and 43, by spring means to bedescribed. The mounting means for each diaphragm includes a plate 92 anchored thereto and a pin 93 extended from the plate and slidably received through an zaperture in a knob 95, which is adjustably threaded through a cross member 96 extended between side walls 25a and 2911, respectively of the trough i i-a.

Said spring means, for maintaining desired ten sionon the diaphragm 99, may include a coil compression spring 9 around the pin 93, and engaged between knob 95 and plate 92, adapted to urge the diaphragm toward closed position. Threaded adjustment of knob '95 is effective to vary the pressure required to open the diaphragm valve.

Other modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. Fluid paste dispensing apparatus of the class described, comprising a trough, a fluid paste supply reservoir, conduit means coextensive with a length of said trough and receiving paste from the reservoir, a plurality of inlet openings from said conduit means openings into said trough at horizontally spaced points, pressure applying means for forcing fluid paste from said reservoir along said conduit means and into said trough through said inlet openings, and yieldingly depressible valves for closing said inlet openings, said valves being yieldinglyself-operable by predeterminate pressure of said paste at various locations in said conduit means to open the respective inlet openings for passage of paste to the trough.

2. Fluid paste dispensing apparatus of the class described, comprising a trough, a fluid paste supply reservoir, conduit means coextensive with a lengthof said trough and receiving paste from the reservoir, a 'pluralityof spaced inlet openings from said conduitmeans opening into said trough at horizontally spaced points along the bottom region thereof, pressure applying means for forcing fluid paste from said reservoir along said conduit means and into said trough through said inlet openings, and yieldingly depressible valves for closing said inlet openings, said valves being yieldingly self-operable by predeterminate pressure of said paste at various locations in said conduit means to open the respective inlet openings for passage of paste to the trough.

3. Fluid paste dispensing apparatus of the class described, comprising a trough, a fluid paste supply reservoir, conduit means coextensive with a length of said trough and receiving paste from the reservoir, a plurality of spaced inlet openings from said conduit means opening into said trough at horizontally spaced points along the bottom region thereof, pressure applying means for forcing fluid paste from said reservoir along said conduit means and into said though through said inlet openings, yieldingly depressible valves for closing said inlet openings, said valves being yieldingly self-operable by predeterminate pressure of said paste at various locations in said conduit means to open the respective inlet openings for passage of paste to the trough, a pasteapplying roll, means for rotatably mounting said roll in said trough to be partially immersed in paste contained therein, :a tensioning bar gravitationally engageable with paper drawn over the top of said roll to maintain the same under tension, stop means on said tensioning bar for preventing the same from becoming immersed in the paste in said trough, and an elongatedflexible wiper element mounted .on said trough and en- 'gageable by the underside of said paper as it is drawn from said roll.

4. Fluid paste dispensing apparatus of the class described, comprisinga trough, a fluid paste supply reservoir, conduit means coextensive with a length of said trough and receiving paste from the reservoir, a plurality of spaced inlet openings from said-conduit means opening into said trough at horizontally spaced points along the bottom region thereof, pressure applying means for forcing fluid paste from said reservoir along said conduit means and into said trough through said inlet openings, yieldingly depressible valves for closing said inlet openings, said valves being yieldingly self-operable by predeterminate pressure of said paste at various locations in said conduit means to open the respective inlet openings for passage of paste to the trough, a paste-applying roll, and means .for rotatably mounting said roll in said trough to be partially immersed in paste contained therein.

5. Fluid paste dispensing apparatus of the class described, comprising a trough, a fluid paste supply reservoir, conduit means coextensive with a length of said trough and receiving paste from the reservoir, a plurality of spaced inlet openings from said conduit means opening into said trough at horizontally spaced points along the bottom region thereof, pressure applying means for forcing fluid paste from said reservoir-along said conduit means and into said trough through said inlet openings, yieldingly depressible valves for closing said inlet openings, said valves being yieldingly self-operable by predeterminate pressure of said paste at various locations in said conduit means to open the respective inlet openings for passage of paste to the trough, a pasteapplying roll, means for rotatably mounting said roll in said trough to be partially immersed in paste contained therein, and an elongated flexible wiper element mounted on said trough and engageable by the underside of said paper as it is drawn from said roll.

6. Fluid paste dispensing apparatus of the class described, comprising a trough, a fluid paste supply reservoir, conduit means coextensive with a length of said trough and receiving paste from the reservoir, a plurality of spaced inlet openings from said conduit means opening into said trough at horizontally spaced points along the bottom region thereof, pressure applying means for forcing fluid paste from said reservoir along said conduit means and into said trough through said inlet openings, yieldingly depressible valves for closing said inlet openings, said valves being yieldingly self-operable by predeterminate pressure of said paste at various locations in said conduit means to open the respective inlet openings for passage of paste to the trough, a pasteapplying roll, means for rotatably mounting said roll in said trough to be partially immersed in paste contained therein, means for tensioning paper over the top portion of said roll moistened by the paste as the paper is pulled in one direction.

'7. Fluid paste dispensing apparatus of the class described, comprising a trough, a fluid paste supply reservoir, conduit means coextensive with a length of said trough and receiving paste from the reservoir, a plurality of spaced inlet openings from said conduit means opening into said trough at horizontally spaced points along the bottom region thereof, pressure applying means for forcing fluid paste from said reservoir along said conduit means and into said trough through said inlet openings, yieldingly depressible valves for closing said inlet openings, said valves being yieldingly self-operable by predeterminate pressure of said paste at various locations in said conduit means to open the respective inlet openings for passage of paste to the trough, a pasteapplying roll, and means for rotatably mounting said roll in said trough to be partially immersed in paste contained therein, including overflow means between said trough and said reservoir for preventing paste from rising above a predetermined level in said trough.

8. Fluid paste dispensing apparatus of the class described, comprising a trough, a fluid paste supply reservoir, conduit means coextensive With a length of said trough and receiving paste from the reservoir, a plurality of inlet openings from said conduit means opening into said trough at horizontally spaced points, pressure applying means for forcing fluid paste from said reservoir along said conduit means and into said trough through said openings, and yieldingly depressible valves for closing said inlet openings, said valves being yieldingly self-operable by predeterminate pressure of said paste at various locations in said conduit means to open the respective inlet openings for passage of paste to the trough, the yielding resistance to opening of successive said valves being progressively decreased in the direction of flow of the paste in said conduit means to equalize the flow of paste through the various said inlet openings.

9. Fluid paste dispensing apparatus of the class described, comprising a trough, a fluid paste supply reservoir, conduit means coextensive with a length of said trough and receiving paste from the reservoir, a plurality of inlet openings from said conduit means opening into said trough at horizontally spaced points, pressure applying means for forcing fluid paste from said reservoir along said conduit means and into said trough through said inlet openings, and yieldingly depressible valves for closing said inlet openings, said valves being yieldingly self-operable by predeterminate pressure of said paste at various locations in said conduit means to open the respective inlet openings for passage of paste to the trough, said pressure applying means including a rotary impeller in said reservoir to force said paste from said reservoir to said trough.

10. Fluid paste dispensing apparatus of the class described, comprising a trough, a fluid paste supply reservoir, conduit means coextensive with a length of said trough and receiving paste from the reservoir, a plurality of spaced inlet openings from said conduit means opening into said trough at horizontally spaced points along the bottom region thereof, pressure applying means for forcing fluid paste from said reservoir along said conduit means and into said trough through said inlet openings, yieldingly depressible valves for closing said inlet openings, said valves being yieldingly self-operable by predeterminate pressure of said paste at various locations in said conduit means to open the respective inlet openings for passage of paste to the trough, a pasteapplying roll, means for rotatably mounting said roll in said trough to be partially immersed in paste contained therein, means for tensioning paper over the top portion of said roll moistened by the paste as the paper is pulled in one direction, the yielding resistance to opening of successive said valves being progressively decreased in the direction of flow of the paste in said conduit means to equalize the flow of paste through the various said inlet openings.

11. Fluid paste dispensing apparatus of the class described, comprising a trough, a fluid paste supply reservoir, conduit means coextensive with a length of said trough and receiving paste from the reservoir, a plurality of spaced inlet openings from said conduit means opening into said trough at horizontally spaced points along the bottom region thereof, pressure applying means for forcing fluid paste from said reservoir along said conduit means and into said trough through said inlet openings, yieldingly depressible valves for closing said inlet openings,- said valves being yieldingly self-operable by predeterminate pressure of said paste at various locations in said conduit means to open the respective inlet openings for passage of paste to the trough, a pasteapplying roll, means for rotatably mounting said roll in said trough to be partially immersed in paste contained therein, means for tensioning paper over the top portion of said roll moistened by the paste as the paper is pulled in one direction, the yielding resistance to opening of successive said valves being progressively decreased in the direction of flow of the paste in said conduit means to equalize the flow of paste through the various said inlet openings, overflow means being provided between said trough and said reservoir for preventing the paste from rising above a predetermined level in the trough.

OPHARD BLEDSOE.

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